J-Corder
Technics RS-1500 McIntosh-Style
Introduced 2015$7,735 MSRP
J-Corder, built by Jeff Jacobs in Gig Harbor, Washington, takes the vintage Technics RS-1500 — a direct-drive, quartz-capstan consumer deck often called "arguably the finest consumer tape player ever produced" — and refurbishes/customizes it with options like PPG metal-flake automotive paint, "Piano Panel" side trim, custom headblocks, upgraded output voltage, and McIntosh-style cosmetic treatments (Wired).
MSRP
$7,735
Used market · Good
$12,000
+55% vs MSRP
as of Sep 1, 2026MSRP to used market
From $7,735 at launch to $12,000 today.
Specifications
- Heads
- Playback heads for both half-inch and quarter-inch tape
- Reels
- Custom aluminum-hub handcrafted reels, $295/pair
- Weight
- 60 lbs
- Base platform
- Technics RS-1500, direct-drive reel-to-reel with quartz-regulated capstan and Teflon-coated "Isoloop" tape transport
- Cosmetic options
- "Autom Finish" PPG metal-flake paint (+$995), "Piano Panels" (+$495), custom headblock (+$125), custom knobs (+$500), gem inlays (+$300)
- Entry level price
- $7,735
- Tape compatibility
- Designed to work with modern ATR and RMGI "Plus" tape formulations handling recording levels beyond 9dB without distortion
- Mechanical upgrades
- Upgraded springs, brakes, and roller bearings
- Review configuration price
- $10,777
- Output voltage modification
- Increased from 0.42V to 0.61V
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